Latest Updates: ALL Cruise Cancellations Due to the Coronavirus

UPDATED 5/25/20: A complete list of ALL the latest cruise cancellations due to the coronavirus and the refund policies for each cruise line that has postponed voyages.

As of March 13th, cruising came to a halt as essentially all major cruise lines announced that they would be temporarily suspending cruising. Although, the cancellation dates, refund policies, and other changes do vary by cruise line. To help cruisers stay informed, we have the latest updates for ALL the cruise line cancellations due to the coronavirus, including each line’s refund policy. LAST UPDATED 5/25/20!

Cruise Line Cancellations Due to the Coronavirus and Refund Policies

Carnival Cruise Line

On April 13th, Carnival Cruise Line released a follow up statement with additional cruise cancellations in response to the CDC’s extension of the cruise ship no sail order. ALL sailings through June 26, 2020 were cancelled. Further, all San Francisco cruises were cancelled through the end of 2020, as well as select further cancellations beyond this date.

However, on May 4th, the cruise line provided an updated announcement extending its suspension of cruising to August 1st with a phased return to service through 2020. This plan includes sailings on 8 ships in the fleet from only Miami, Galveston, and Port Canaveral.

The current list of cancellations now include:

All San Francisco sailings through 2020

All Carnival Sunrise sailings through and including October 19, 2020

All Carnival Legend sailings through and including October 30, 2020

All Carnival Radiance sailings through and including November 1, 2020

All Carnival Spirit Alaska, Hawaii, & Trans-Pacific sailings through and including October 6, 2020

Compensation for impacted Carnival cruises does vary based on the duration of the cruise. For cruises of 5 days or less, cruisers will receive 100% future cruise credit for the total amount paid for the cruise, plus $300 onboard credit applied to the sailing once it is booked. For cruises 6 days or more in length, cruisers will receive the 100% future cruise credit, plus $600 onboard credit. This offer is applicable to a newly booked cruise departing by December 31, 2022 if booked by the end of THIS year.

If you don’t take advantage of the above offers, you can complete an online form to request a 100% refund to the original form of payment. Stay up to date on all the latest Carnival cancellations and refund policies by visiting the website.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises was the first cruise line to be impacted by the coronavirus. So, it wasn’t a surprise that it was one one of the first lines to announce cruise cancellations. The cruise line originally announced that it was ceasing service on its cruise ships for 60 days. This “pause” was instituted across the line’s entire fleet on sailings through May 10th. On April 14th, Princess Cruises released an updated statement extending this global pause through June 30th.

Additionally, the cruise line announced significant changes to the Alaska cruise season. The five wilderness lodges, trains, and buses operated by Princess in Alaska will not open this summer. The only cruises to Alaska that were anticipated to sail were round-trip cruises from Seattle on Ruby Princess and Emerald Princess. The other 6 ships were cancelled including Coral, Grand, Pacific, Royal Princess, Star Princess, and Golden Princess

However, on May 6th, Princess Cruises officially announced that ALL Alaska cruises for 2020 are now cancelled. Further, all Canada/New England and Europe cruises and cruise tours in 2020 are now cancelled.

The cruise line continued the list of cancellations to include Australian and Caribbean cruises through August, Japan cruises through October 1st, Tawain cruises in July, and all fall 2020 Tahiti & French Polynesia cruises on Pacific Princess. This means that cruisers will not be able to sail on Princess Cruises until at least September (with the exception of Majestic Princess). The new Enchanted Princess is also not expected to sail now until November from its homeport in Florida.

Princess Cruises is offering cruisers the ability to receive a full refund to their original form of payment or the ability to forward the funds to a future cruise. This 125% FCC can be applied to any sailing through May 1, 2022. This applies to those cruise guests who have paid in full. If you have not paid in full, Princess will “Double the Deposit”, providing a refundable FCC for the money currently on deposit plus a matching bonus FCC.

Holland America Line

On April 14th, Holland America also released a statement regarding an extension to its cruise pause from May 14th until June 30th. Like Princess, HAL also made some pretty drastic cuts to the brand’s Alaska cruises for 2020. All Alaska sailings on Maasdam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Volendam, and Westerdam were cancelled. All Alaska Land and Sea Journeys have also been cancelled. This left two of the brand’s ships scheduled to sail the region, the Eurodam and Koningsdam.

However, Holland America Line released an update on May 6th cancelling ALL Alaska, Europe, and Canada/New England cruises for the remainder of 2020. In addition, Amsterdam will not operate its 79-day Grand Africa voyage that was scheduled to depart on October 3rd. While the cruise line might be in the process of shifting its fleet to different itineraries, the earliest Caribbean cruise that is available for booking is in October.

Guests impacted by these cancellations will have the option to receive a 125% future credit to be applied to any cruise departing by December 31, 2022 or a full refund to the original form of payment. This applies to both guests who have paid in full. Guests not paid in full will receive a FCC for an amount double the deposit. Guests can use the online form to indicate their preferences by June 15, 2020.

Norwegian Cruise Line

UPDATE: Initially announcing a suspension of cruising on March 13th, then subsequently extending through May 14th, Norwegian Cruise Line was the last of the major brands to extended its global pause through June 30, 2020.

Further, NCL cancelled all Alaska sailings on Norwegian Sun through October 18th and will re-position the ship to Port Canaveral, FL. The cruise line still has plans to offer Alaska cruises on Bliss, Joy, and Jewel during the shortened season.

Then, on May 20th, in a long anticipated announcement, Norwegian Cruise Line extended the line’s global suspension of cruising from June 30, 2020 to now include all voyages embarking through July 31st.

For cruises that were scheduled to depart through March 17th, travelers are automatically receiving 150% future cruise credit. For cruises departing on or after March 18th, cruisers impacted will receive 125% future cruise credit. These cruise credits can be applied to cruises leaving through December 31, 2022. Additionally, guests will receive a 20% discount if they book a new cruise using the FCC by May 31st.

For those wanting a full refund, the cruise line is happy to oblige. For guests who would prefer to receive a 100% refund, they may submit a request online. For more information refer to NCL’s website.

Norwegian Cruise Line also recently updated its Peace of Mind policy. The cruise line is extending it to include all cruises through November 30, 2020. Cruisers now have the ability to book a cruise knowing they have the flexibility to cancel up to 48 hours prior to the sail date for any reason. A 100% future cruise credit will then be issued that can be applied to any other cruise through the end of 2022.

Royal Caribbean International

UPDATE: Like many of the major cruise lines, Royal Caribbean waited until March 13th to formally make an announcement about suspending cruising. On March 24th, the cruise line announced that it was extending its suspension of cruising until May 12th. Then, on April 16th, Royal Caribbean announced a further extension through June 11th. In addition, Alaska and Canada/New England cruises would not start sailing until July 1st.

However, Royal Caribbean also released a long anticipated update to its cruise suspension on May 20th. In this press release, Royal Caribbean further suspended cruising until August 1st. However, China sailings are an exception as they are are only suspended until June 30th as of this time.

Passengers impacted by cruise cancellations will automatically receive 125% future cruise credit that can be applied to a cruise sailing before April 30, 2022. Further stipulations regarding refunds and credits depending on when you booked the trip and form of payment can be found on Royal Caribbean’s website.

Individuals unsure about whether they will use the future cruise credit do have until the end of 2021 to request a refund. If cruisers purchased any cruise planner items, they now have the option of receiving either a 125% onboard credit or a 100% refund for these items.

Royal Caribbean’s Cruise with Confidence Policy has recently been extended and enhnanced. Now, you can cancel a cruise up to 48 hours before the sail date and receive 100% FCC on all sailings up until April 2022. For full details, see this recent post.

Celebrity Cruises

UPDATE: As the sister brand of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises has implemented the same cruise cancellation policy due to the coronavirus. Likewise, on April 16th, the cruise line extended its cruise suspension until June 11th. Similar to Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises also delayed Alaska cruises until July 1st. Then, on May 20th, this global pause in operations was further extended until August 1st.

Cruisers with voyages impacted will automatically receive a 125% future cruise credit. Or, they can request a 100% refund to their original form of payment. Further, if cruisers purchased any cruise planner items, they now have the option of receiving either a 125% onboard credit or a 100% refund for these items.

Cruisers can apply this FCC to cruises departing by April 30, 2022 and have until the end of 2021 to determine whether they want to receive a refund or utilize the future cruise credit. A full list of cruises impacted by these changes can be found on Celebrity Cruises’ website.

Celebrity Cruises Cruise with Confidence policy is the same as Royal Caribbean’s and has been extended to sailings up to April 2022.

MSC Cruises

With only three vessels cruising in the USA, MSC Cruises originally suspended all cruises out of Miami, FL until April 30th. The cruise line released a statement on March 30th regarding an extension to the brand’s cruise suspension through May 29th. As of April 29th, MSC Cruises announced that it will be continuing its pause on operations fleet-wide until July 10th. Despite recent updates from other major cruise lines, MSC has not extended beyond this date as of yet.

MSC Cruises is working with all guests to address the impact for sailings booked through these dates. For Caribbean cruises, the line is providing guests with a 125% future cruise credit to be used until the end of 2021. If the FCC is not redeemed by that time, a 100% refund will automatically be issued. If guests prefer the 100% full refund to the original form of payment now, they can fill out the form on the cruise line’s website. While differentiated on the website, the same options are available for all impacted non-Caribbean cruises as well. Additionally, any taxes, fees, and pre-paid items will automatically be refunded to the original form of payment.

The cruise line’s flexible cancellation policy is in effect for cruises through September 30th. With this Cruise Assurance program, cruisers can cancel sailings up to 48 hours in advance and receive a future cruise credit that can be applied to sailings before the end of 2021.

Disney Cruise Line

UPDATE: Disney Cruise Line also continues to extend its cruise cancellations. In an official announcement made on April 27th. Disney Cruise Line extended the suspension of all new departures through June 18, 2020. Further, Disney Magic sailings were cancelled through July 2nd, and Disney Wonder Alaska sailings were cancelled through the end of June. However, on May 13th, Disney Cruise Line further extended this pause now until July 27, 2020.

Guests currently booked on impacted sailings will have the option of a future cruise credit to be used on a new sailing within the next 15 months or a full refund. Guests and travel agents will receive an email from the cruise line outlining details and next steps.

For a full list of impacted sailings, visit Disney Cruise Line’s website.

Virgin Voyages Cancels Inaugural Cruises

UPDATE: Virgin Voyages first cancelled all media sailings due to the coronavirus. Then, a few days later, the new cruise line made the decision to postpone its inaugural season. Slated for its inaugural cruise on April 1st, Virgin Voyages has pushed back all sailings on Scarlet Lady.

The cruise line’s initial plan was to begin cruising in July, with August 7th listed as the new date for the maiden voyage. Then, on May 21st, Virgin Voyages made the decision to now postpone sailings through October 15, 2020. Currently, the first cruise on Scarlet Lady is scheduled for Friday, October 16th. Richard’s Birthday Bash sailing has also been rescheduled for July 14th, 2021.

First time cancelled Sailors will automatically receive 200% future cruise credit for the amount paid towards their voyage. As a further incentive to re-book now, sailors can receive up to $500 of onboard credit based on stateroom category if they re-book by June 30th. Of course, if guests prefer a refund, they can contact the cruise line to request it prior to December 31, 2020.

For Sailors who have already received a 200% future voyage credit due to a previously cancelled cruise, they have the option to keep it for a future booking or request a refund. In addition to the refund for the full paid amount, sailors will still receive a 25% future voyage credit.

Similar to other cruise lines’ Cruise with Confidence policies, Virgin Voyages has announced its Smooth Sailing Program. This program will give sailors greater flexibility and assurance when booking a cruise. Now, final payment will be due just 60 days prior to the voyage. Additionally, sailors will have the ability to cancel up to 48 hours prior to the cruise for a 100% future voyage credit. This policy is currently in effect for cruises through December 16, 2020.

Viking Ocean and River Cruises

Viking Cruises was the first major cruise line to announce changes to its itineraries. Chairman Torstein Hagen made the initial announcement via a “video letter” about cruise cancellations due to the coronavirus. The chairman cited the closing of several cruise ports, as well as the potential for travelers catching the virus during international airline travel as main drivers behind the decision to cancel cruises from March 12th to April 30th. The cancellations impacted both the company’s river cruise ships as well as its ocean cruise liners.

This cruise suspension was updated March 30th via another video letter, now extending this temporary pause of operations through June 30, 2020. There have been no further updates from Viking despite other cruise lines’ recent announcements.

Viking is offering a future cruise credit of 125% of the original fare that is valid for 24 months. If cruisers do not use the credit, 100% of funds will be refunded on the original form of payment. For cruisers who prefer the 100% refund, they can contact the cruise company or their travel agent by April 6th.

Viking also has a Risk-Free Guarantee in place allowing guests to change their reservation up to 24 hours prior to their sail date to receive 100% FCC. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made by April 30, 2020.

Further Impacts

These are the current cruise cancellations and changes due to the coronavirus announced so far. Most likely, more itineraries will be altered or cancelled beyond these dates. Of course, we will continue to update this post as more changes occur. Until then, we hope everyone stays safe and healthy during this time.

Comments

Have any of your cruises been cancelled due to the coronavirus? Do you still have plans to cruise once the ban is lifted? Drop us an anchor below to share how your travels have been impacted.

Don, or “DB”, loves everything about cruising- the ocean, the food, and the atmosphere. While he may be obsessed with doing extensive amounts of research on ships and all elements of a cruise, Don enjoys sharing his new found knowledge with fellow cruisers. When he is not sailing the high seas, he does whatever his wife tells him to do-it only took 10 years to realize this.

5 comments on Latest Updates: ALL Cruise Cancellations Due to the Coronavirus

A question about NCL. I canceled on the evening of 3/12. NCL provided two different deadlines (midnight 3/13 & 3pm 3/13) on two different phone calls I made to them. It’s clear that they were aware of halting cruises at the time I canceled since they posted on their website on 3/11 at 10pm that they had an updated policy coming out soon. My cruise was to depart 3/15 at 3pm out of NYC. I truly wanted to keep sailing but NYC was turning into a hot mess – things changing hourly. I was really concerned about my family’s safety and long term quarantine. Will NCL provide a refund to those who canceled last minute for a cruise that was canceled anyway? Thank you!

How about those of us that were stranded in a foreign country? I traveled to South America, only to find out 3 hours after I got there that the cruise was cancelled..no help, no assistance. A very expensive experience.
And now there is some question as to whether the insurance policy that I purchased will even cover some of the expenses incurred.
Has anyone had any luck or have any information regarding travel insurance claims?

How about Regent Seven Seas I was due to go on a Northern Europe cruise with them on May 30th leaving on May 28th from Miami. It was a very expensive trip that I no longer want to go for many reasons and would like to be reimburse on my credit card. They belonged to Norwegian cruise line so why they don’t follow their policies and let people decide FCC or full refund?

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DB & The Princess

Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

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About Us

Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?